Holographic Display with Communications

1. A holographic display device for generating a holographic reconstruction of a three dimensional scene (3D-S), the holographic display device comprising: a light source; a spatial light modulator (SLM); and an optical system illuminating the SLM with light emitted by the light source; wherein the holographic display device is adapted such that a reconstruction of a single object point of the 3D-S only requires a sub-hologram to be encoded into the SLM, the sub-hologram being a subset of the illuminated SLM and wherein the holographic display device is adapted to enable a first user of the holographic display device to communicate with a second user using another holographic display device, said communication taking place over the internet using voice and holographic image over internet protocol (VHIOIP).

2. The holographic display device display of claim 1 , in which the VHIOIP comprises voice and video holographic image over interne protocol (VVHIOIP) services or communications.

3. The holographic display device of claim 2 , in which the VHIOIP or VVHIOIP services or communications are provided in real time or in quasi-real-time.

4. The holographic display device of claim 1 , in which virtual observer windows are placed at a viewer's or viewers' eyes.

5. The holographic display device of claim 1 , in which light sources of the holographic display are light emitting diodes.

6. The holographic display device of claim 1 , in which (a) holographic image calculation is performed or (b) holographic image calculation is performed and the sub-holograms are used for the holographic image calculation.

7. The holographic display device of claim 6 , in which the holographic image calculation is performed in real time or in quasi real time.

8. The holographic display device of claim 6 , wherein real space image data which is used in the holographic calculation is a difference between successive real space image frames, and holographic display data is sent to holographic display clusters in the form of sub-hologram difference data and display memory location data.

9. The holographic display device of claim 1 , wherein the spatial light modulator comprises pixels on a substrate, and wherein calculations performed to determine hologram encoding data of the pixels are performed using circuitry for calculation which is on the same substrate as the pixels.

10. The holographic display device of claim 9 , in which the calculations do not involve the calculation of a Fourier transform or of a Fresnel transform.

11. The holographic display device of claim 9 , in which the hologram encoding data is calculated outside a space occupied by the pixels, the hologram encoding data is then compressed using known data compression techniques, and is then transmitted to circuitry for decompression which is on the same substrate as the pixels, the circuitry for decompression then performing a function of decompressing the compressed data which has been received.

12. The holographic display device of claim 1 , wherein a 3D rendering pipeline of graphics sub-systems includes processing units for holographic transformation and encoding or wherein sequential holographic transformation of points in three-dimensional space is performed by way of extending a 3D pipeline of graphics cards with a holographic calculation pipeline.

13. The holographic display device of claim 1 , in which VHIOIP or VVHIOIP peer-to-peer services or communications are provided.

14. The holographic display device of claim 1 , wherein file sharing services or communications are provided or wherein file sharing services or communications are provided over a computer network to which it is connected.

15. The holographic display device of claim 1 , in which instant messaging services or communications, over a global network or computer network to which it is connected, are provided, or in which communication services or communications are provided over a computer network to which it is connected.

16. The holographic display device of claim 1 , in which there is provided temporary use of online, non-downloadable computer software that allows subscribers to utilize VHIOIP or VVHIOIP services or communications or for which there is provided online software for downloading that allows subscribers to utilize VHIOIP or VVHIOIP services or communications or for which there is provided access to domains and domain database systems for access to holographic display data.

17. A communications system, in which two users communicate over the internet using real-time or quasi-real-time video holographic communication based on VHIOIP or VVHIOIP, each user using a holographic display device according to claim 1 .

18. A method of generating a holographic reconstruction of a three dimensional scene (3D-S), made up of multiple discrete points, using a holographic display device including a light source, a spatial light modulator (SLM), and an optical system illuminating the SLM with light emitted by the light source, comprising the steps of: reconstructing a single object point of the 3D-S using only a sub-hologram to be encoded into the SLM, the sub-hologram being a subset of the illuminated SLM; and enabling a first user of the holographic display device to communicate with a second user using another holographic display device, said communication taking place over the internet using voice and holographic image over internet protocol (VHIOIP).